Thursday, May 6, 2010

My experiment with Jadoopatiyan art.Water colour.Size24x16".This painting is very close to Santhal's trditionl art Jadoopatiyan paintings but my strokes and colors are vary a bit. Jadoopatiyan paintings are available in different sizes .The length of canvas usually veries from five to 10 feet and is built with the help of wood and cloth.Imagine a fantasy land where nature is a benevolent queen. Where the woods are lovely, dark, green and deep. Where the sky is an azure blue. A place where you can hear the sounds of silence and test the elegance of nature. A state, where lush forests, water falls, lakes, rivulets, flora and fauna, wild life, all allure visitors. A Place where you can see a rich tradition of folk paintings. Yes, Jharkhand’s Santhal paragana is your short-cut to dream land.

THIS IS TRADITIONAL JADOOPATIYAN PAINTING,BY A FOLK TRIBAL ARTIST OF SANTHAL PARGANA(JHARKHAND,INDIA)

The glorious past of Santhal Parganas (Jharkhand,India) is fully reflected in its legends, its art and culture. But it is painting that occupies the pride of place. It is still customary is Santhal Parganas to pain symbolic motifs on walls of houses, on plain clothes and on trunk of trees. These paintings reflect the socio- cultural tradition which is seeped in religiosity and there is an overtone of mythology.The unique traditional Jadoopatiyan painting which formed an inseparable part of the centuries old Santhal culture is now facing a threat for want of patrons and the onslaught of consumerism. Simplicity of form and use of natural materials are the cormer stones of this folk painting . Jadoopatiyan painting is mostly based on epic terminology from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, the life of Lord Krishna, creation of universe and punishment by Yamraj after and punishment by Yamraj after death. This traditional art resembles Madhubani painting of Mithila, Manjusha art of Ang Janpad ( the capital of Karna Bhagalpur ) Kolam of Tamil Nadu, Rangoli of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

The artists who paint Jadoopatiyan paintings are known as Jadoo in Santhal parlance. The aesthetic creativity of Jadoo in the Santhal region comprising Dumka, Godda, Deoghar, Pakur and Sahibganj district of Bihar, is similar to Warli tribal painting of Maharashtra, the Kalighat paintings of Calcutta and the Pat Chitra Kala of Orissa.In fact, Jadoo plays the role of social reformer on his canvas. He teaches the importance of morality by depicting the punishment by Yamraj to the wrongdoers after their death.The Jadoopatiyan paintings are available in different sizes and mainly use four colours- red, green black, yellow. These colours are derived from natural resources. The length of canvas usually veries from five to 10 feet and is built with the help of wood and ok’d cloth.In these paintings men have abnormally large eyes and just on side of the face is depicted. The women have long backs and the bird are used symbolicallyBut the Jadoopatiyan painting which can keep alive a tradition are fast fading away. The Jadoo are shifting away from this traditional art due to penury.-Pritima Vats

Manjusha painting is the form that mirrors the myth and feelings of eastern Bihar(India). The Manjusha art is also associated with a religious festival of Ang Janpath- the Bihla Bishari worship and the folk tale related with it. That painting is fairly popular form of art, is an accepted fact. One only has to remind oneself of M.F. Husain and his recent paintings to understand what heights it can achieve. But the rural people of Bihar do not know Husain. The folk painting is the only language of colours and lines that they know.Manjusha painting is the form that mirrors the myth and feelings of eastern Bihar. It has a touch of tribal culture too. Manjusha art forms an integral part of the rich culture heritage og the Ang janapath ( old Bjagalpur Commissionary). This traditional art resembles Madhubani paintion of Mithila, Zadopatian painting of Santhal pargana, Kolam of Tamil Nadu and Rangoli of Karnataka. Simplicity of form and use of minimum materials are its cornerstones.Like the Madhubani painting, the Manjusha art is also associated with a religious festival of Ang Janath- the Bihla Bishari worship and the folk tale related with it. The main festival is held after the onset of rains in August, at Champamagar, about five kilometres from Bhagalpur railway station. A two- day fair is also held on the occasion. A folk tale is that Chando, a soudagar of Angjanpath was opposed the worship of Bishari, the Goddess of cobras and he therefore had to face her wrath. His son Bala lakender was bitten by a cobra on the night of his marriage with Bihla. Bihla took her husband away fron Champa for treatment in a newly built boat with a shape of Manjusha, to keep Bala lakender safe from further attacks of the snakes. The walls and canopy of the boat were painted by veteran artist of that time, Lahsan Malli.The beautifuly sketched figures represrnted the prayer to the Goddess. In the painting there were snakes, Bishari, elephant, peacock, sun and moon. The colours used wree pink, green and yellow only. It is said that, since that incident, the tradition of Manjusha paintings has continued to be practised by the Malkhar families of Champanagar.Though the original Manjusha ( boat) was made of metal. the Manjusha built today on the occasion of Bihla-Bishari Puja are made of paper, himp and a frame built of Santhi a light wood. The frame is given a shape of a temple and it rests on eight pillars that form a square shaped room with a door. Then the whole frame is covered with paper on which beautiful paintings depicting the story of Bihla- Bishari are made. The snake is sketched in different painted as symbols for depicting the sky.The folk songs related with Bihla - Bishari van easily be seen to have a ready expression in the Manjusha art paintings. Along with the symbolism and liveliness of the characters. Manjusha art is very rich in colour combination and the original shade of paper used.the Manjusha artist also gives equal attention to the decoration of the art piece with the very effective user of the Mihrabs and borders. These Mihrabs provide an identity to the Manjusha painting. Unfortunately today, the Manjusja art is on its decline. For some time this form of art was practised by a few Malkhar families of Champanagar, but they too seem to have lost interest in it.This unique traditional painting which formed an inseparable part of centuries of Ang culture is now facing threat for want of patrons and onslought of consumerism. There is an urgent need to establish production canters at different spots besides providing financial assistance to the artists. To save Manjusha, it must be made commercially viable.

First and second paintings are in watercolour.

In tradional Manjusha paintings only three colours-pink,green&yellow used. last painting is true traditional.

Hamari Wani

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